Nariman Utegaliev, WARC Tutor: “I developed my own interpersonal skills vis-à-vis effectively addressing students’ concerns and interests”

February 27, 2017

Nariman Utegaliyev, a senior in Psychology Department, balances his academic and work responsibilities as a student at AUCA and a tutor for the Writing and Academic Resources Center. During his time at AUCA, he has developed his (and others') professional and academic skills through his work with WARC.

“I am a writing tutor providing students with assistance in their writing assignments. Most students who come to WARC are freshmen looking for help on their FYS papers; however, there are many students who come to WARC to get feedback and improve their upper-level coursework.

To prepare for being a writing tutor, I took a semester-long Composition Theory and Pedagogy class. The class primarily focused on refining students’ writing and analytical skills and on introducing the tenets of peer tutoring through theory and practice. During this class, I learned effective strategies and techniques for assisting students in their writing. I also developed my own interpersonal skills vis-à-vis effectively addressing students’ concerns and interests. After taking the class, the applicants to WARC are interviewed, and those selected are offered a position.       

Since the peer-tutoring process differs substantially from a conventional student-teacher interaction, the process is much more collaborative: a tutor and tutee are placed on an equal plane. As a result, I’ve learned a lot from students who come to the center. By adopting an interactive approach, peer tutoring is an effective way for me to gain knowledge through discussing with students their ideas and thoughts. This process is greatly beneficial for me since I am exposed to a multitude of ideas, honing my analytical skills. In addition, I have developed my communication skills and my ability to evaluate other arguments and provide appropriate and thoughtful feedback. It goes without saying that I have improved my writing skills as well”.  

The WARC’s primary mission is to help students succeed in their courses across the curriculum, and in particular, in writing-intensive courses with the help of formally trained peer tutors.  The WARC’s secondary mission is to support faculty across the curriculum in enhancing their writing pedagogy skills and assisting to create writing assignments that help students meet course learning outcomes. Central to the WARC’s mission is the belief that developing a culture of writing, rhetoric, and active engagement in the learning process is one of the most fundamental aims of a liberal arts education. Besides free peer tutoring, the WARC also provides workshops and other assistance with writing that is relevant to students’ academic and professional pursuits, such as scholarship essays, personal statements, and other components of employment, graduate school, and scholarship applications.

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